Daily Devotional: “For the Sake Of….”

Have you ever been in a situation where someone had a need and you did not have enough money to help that person? I have. Or have you heard about a ministry that didn’t have enough to feed people, buy clothing or shoes for others in need, and not have anything extra to give to it yourself? I have.

To want to give and not be able to is an awful feeling, isn’t it? Yet, is it right for us as God’s people to ask and seek to be prosperous? Yes, it is! And what is to be our motive to being prosperous? It is for the sake of the House of the Lord our God!

See, if we have only enough for ourselves, we do not have anything left to give. We have to be blessed to be a blessing! If we are ONLY asking God to meet our needs and not asking and seeking Him for prosperity, then we are only thinking and asking for ourselves. And if we are the only ones on our minds, we are being selfish.

You may be thinking, “Jamie, I thought money was the root of all evil!” No, the Word says that the LOVE of money is the problem (1Timothy 6:10). It is when MONEY HAS YOU, instead of YOU HAVING MONEY! When the church is not prosperous, she cannot feed the hungry, clothe the naked and go and tell the world about Jesus! (Matthew 25:36,37, Mark 16:15)

The Gospel — the Good News of Jesus — is free, but the avenues to get it to the people are expensive! To take a plane or truck full of food, water, clothing and medical needs to places costs money. When the church is prosperous, she can fulfill the needs of people. When the church is in lack, she can only do for herself.

So, why do we need to ask God and seek Him to be prosperous? Because others are needing to eat food and drink clean water. Others are waiting for help to come. Others are praying for someone to come and lend a hand to them as they are struggling. A man or woman will be better able to hear the Good News of Jesus if they have been fed a meal when they are hungry. A Nation will want to hear what you have to say about Jesus Christ if they and their babies are not dying from polluted water. A village will be able to understand that God loves them if they see God’s people come to them and give them warm blankets and shoes for their feet.